The present invention relates to shields for sight gauges. It finds particular application in connection with the protection of sight glasses or gauges used in association with urns containing coffee or other liquids that are to be dispensed through an associated faucet.
Sight gauges for urns and the like are used to indicate the level of liquid in the urn and are provided in the form of an elongated tubular glass member in fluid communication with the urn and secured adjacent an outer wall thereof in a vertical orientation for convenient operator viewing. The glass tube is surrounded by a cylindrical protective metal shield or sleeve which prevents breakage of the sight gauge during shipping, assembly, cleaning, and other inadvertent contact during normal liquid dispensing operations.
To permit viewing of the sight gauge, prior gauge shields have included at least one slot formed through a wall thereof by a milling operation and extending vertically along a portion of the gauge shield. The milling operation and associated gauge shield metal polishing step are costly and time-consuming. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a gauge shield which adequately protects the sight gauge in a cost-effective manner, which is easy to manufacture and assemble, and which facilitates easy gauge reading.